Tips for Having a Safe and Fun Cannabis-Friendly Holiday Party

Kiran Sidhu (CEO & Director), and the whole team at HALO take the Holiday Season quite seriously. More than anything, they see it as an opportunity for comradery. It’s that time of year when the team can come together as one unit and celebrate the wins of the year, but more importantly, they share stories unrelated to work and connect on another level.

The team at HALO know a thing or two about hosting cannabis friendly holiday parties featuring their famous holiday-themed dabs. One thing that is extremely important to the HALO team is safety; the safety of their production facilities, the safety of the products they offer, and most importantly the safety of their employees. Kiran’s put together some of his BEST tips for ensuring a fun and safe holiday party this season.

Let’s Rideshare!

Driving under the influence of cannabis and/or alcohol should never be tolerated. Make it abundantly clear in your invite that there will be a zero tolerance policy when it comes to indulging and driving. Instead, encourage guest that want to partake to use services such as a taxi, or a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft. Or a designated driver. This option allows guests to indulge as much or as little as they want without the dangers of driving under the influence or wondering how they’ll get home. Putting out a fancy bowl to leave keys in near the door with a little reminder sign about not driving high can help guests evaluate their transportation choices upon arrival. Planning this element can help people relax and have a good time without debating who is driving as a total afterthought.

Pick Your Indulgence Of Choice

At events like this, it can be quite easy to overindulge, since everyone’s tolerance levels are different. You may consider not serving alcohol, or scaling back on the alcohol budget and encouraging guests to choose either or. It may be a good idea at the party to ask guests individually if they are having alcohol or cannabis to make this a clear decision while they are in the spirit of the evening. Some people find that smoking cannabis can make them feel ill or unpleasant if they have already indulged in alcohol. To avoid guests having a hard time deciding, make sure that your non-alcoholic beverages are deliciously enticing!

Have A Designated Smoking Area

Pick an area in or outside your home that is specifically for those who may want to smoke, vape, dab etc. Ensure there are plenty of ashtrays to avoid guests looking for a place to ash. If vaping is ok inside but you prefer smoking to happen outdoors perhaps include some signage with Christmas lights on the designated area. If you are inviting guests to smoke anywhere in your home, it’s important to have a fire extinguisher on hand to quickly put out any accidental mishaps.

Be Transparent

Cannabis legalization is still new and many people are still figuring out their tolerance. If gifting cannabis to guests be sure to let them know the strain you’re offering and the compound make up - how much THC versus CBD. While one person may love a Sativa, another may find it makes them anxious. Letting friends know which strains are being offered allows them to be in the driver’s seat of their experience and not find out they smoked a strain type that doesn’t typically agree with them after the fact.

Similarly, if you’re offering edibles ensure they can be divided into small doses, and again educate your guests as to what is in it and the expected strength. When in doubt, always encourage your guests to start slow.

Pay Attention

It’s important to always have a sober person on hand. If you want to indulge yourself, this person may be a friend or family member you trust. This person can help keep an eye on others’ consumption and check in with individuals periodically to see if they need anything. Much like how a waitress will check to see if your meal is ok or if you need any water, designating a sort-of party chaperone will help to ensure that everyone is having a wonderful time as the party progresses into the night.

Related comments

Impressive Gifts For The Canna-Connoisseur

You may have never heard the name before, but you can likely picture just the person on your list when we describe a cannabis connoisseur. To them, cannabis is integrated into life and is to be appreciated like fine food or spirits. They may be discreet about their enthusiasm for the plant but would light up if your gift acknowledged the important element that cannabis plays in their lifestyle. With their fine taste in mind, we curated a gift for the canna-connoisseurs.

CUSTOMIZE THE RITUAL

If someone on your list is passionate about strains and likes to show them off like vintages in a wine cellar, look no further for the perfect gift. The ritual box from Ahlot is a well-crafted wooden box with separate compartments for designer stash jars and other select accessories. Personalized with monographing on the exterior lid, the simple concept behind this box can make a stunning impression on that devoted connoisseur on your list.

GET IT PERFECT EVERY TIME

A sophisticated cannabis oil maker from Levo has topped our first ever gift list for cannabis connoisseurs, and there are mouth-watering reasons why. Equipped with technology that takes much of the guesswork out of at home edibles, this sleek machine blends in perfectly on any kitchen countertop. With app controlled settings an fine controls, the Levo oil maker is intended to reduce the user’s margin of error and produce a consistently infused oil time after time. By selecting the strain most appropriate to your desired effect (think THC/CBD percentages and ratios, or terpene characteristics) and the amount of cannabis to the amount of oil, you can be fully in command of the qualities and strength of your results. With kitchen gadget envy from last year’s juicer or electric kettle, the Levo oil maker is the kind of gift that we think even Martha Stewart would put on her list.

GO MINIMALIST

This round glass tube with a twisty brass insert allows you to smoke a blunt without a single cigar paper in the equation. A simple but classy gift for cannabis enthusiasts who have ‘smoked it all,’ the twisty blunt is easy to fill with ground cannabis, light et voila. Discovered through our friends at Cannabisjar.ca in Winnipeg, we invite JADEO members to take a peek through their stunning selection of classy cannabis accessories for connoisseurs as they finalize their gift list.

STAY LIT

It’s never fun to struggle to get a flame on a windy balcony, or find out your lighter is dead when there’s nowhere to buy one in sight. A great item to make our connoisseurs list is a rechargeable flameless lighter from Amazon.ca. Perfect for the avid smoker, the lighter has a novelty touch sensor button to make it super smart. If you flip the lid and touch the pad the arc will light up. Toted as windproof, splash-proof and TSA approved, this eco-friendly lighter is perfect for traveling with no lighter fluid needed.

TAKE A HIKE

Toted a the “Swiss army knife for weed,” Canadian doob tool founder Brett Evans explains that he designed the world’s first cannabis case and multitool in an effort to squash the stigma of the “lazy potheads.” A thoughtful number of tools built into one gadget makes it a great gift at a very affordable price. For just under $50 you can surprise the cannabis enthusiast on your list with this innovative tool for joint rolling on-the-go.

Described as a product that caters to cannabis users with active lifestyles, theInstagram account for doob tool showcases its product seamlessly worked into moments of pause on forest hikes, beaches, campfires, and picnics, conjuring up a new norm in marketing accessories to weed lovers.

Crowdfunded on IndieGoGo, this groundbreaking gadget is now available online with the tagline: “your perfect adventure awaits.”

Meet Kiran Sidhu of HALO Cannabis, Our Safety Hosting Guide Curator

Kiran Sidhu, 53 years, has an ability to translate creative ideas into cutting edge business ventures. He is an Ivy league educated serial entrepreneur who has branched out in unexpected ways from his traditional early career positions as Strategy Consultant with Price Waterhouse and M&A investment banker with Merrill Lynch to founding and financing Transact Network, a leading EU electronic money institution as its Executive Chairman, leading the NASDAQ IPO of On-Stage Entertainment as it’s CFO in the late 90’s, and working the founders of Party Poker to establish their first US payment solutions.

His latest success story is HALO, the vanguard of modern cannabis extraction in the development and manufacture of leading oil and concentrates products. Having produced over 2.7 million grams of oils and concentrates (with an average sell of 100K grams per month), HALO is considered a leader in the cannabis industry. “We are on the verge of a momentous shift. For hundreds of years, the Chinese used cannabis for anaesthetic, whilst Bhang, a cannabis yoghurt drink has been enjoyed at festivals and is a tenet of many religious rituals in India. At the turn of the century we lost its cultural importance and now, we’ve found it. And HALO is helping to lead this reincarnation of cannabis as a modern medicine,” he says.Kiran shuttles between his facilities in Southern Oregon and Las Vegas and Southern California. Halo’s 12,000 sq. ft. facility (and seven acres of outdoor canopy) has captured +20% share of the Oregon concentrates wholesale market, whilst its 8,000 sq. ft. Nevada licensed processing facility (located near the Las Vegas Airport) is expected to generate 15,000 grams per day of estimated production capacity with a US$45MM annual potential revenue run rate. “This business is in my blood- my grandfather worked in the cannabis industry and I naturally followed his lead.” Dr. Gurbash Chopra MD was the deputy general of medicine for the government of India who immigrated from India to the USA in 1950s and presented substantiated evidence to suggest cannabis could be used to treat illnesses and alleviate symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. He was awarded an honours degree at by the New York Academy of Sciences.

Kiran was born into an entrepreneurial family. His father, Pawitter Sidhu, an Engineer, was a fierce businessman who pioneered the invention of the Floppy Disk Drive during the computer revolution. His mother, Dr. Satwant Sidhu MD MPH, graduated from UCLA and worked for leading scientist, Barbara B. Brown; a research psychologist who popularized biofeedback and neurofeedback in the 1970s, and who with Dr. Timothy Francis Leary, an American psychologist and writer known for advocating the exploration of the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs(LSD). Kiran grew up in a liberal Southern California during the 70’s and 80’s where Cannabis was part of the social fabric.

From an early age, Kiran was ready to be released into the commercial wild and founded Computing Ahead with Shiv Khemka when they were students at Brown University in the 1980’s. Both would attend school four days a week and fly to West Coast from Rhode Island. “We had the perfect sales tactic. Shiv’s mother was a real Indian Princess, so Shiv fashioned himself as a Prince, with a gold lettered business card to gain entry to PC industry leaders.” Whist their peers were working in cafes, these college students travelled between India, Silicon Valley and LA with the novel concept that Indian IT professionals could be used for hirer by Silicon Valley companies, they were forerunners of a multibillion-dollar industry. They went to computer shows and found two unlikely champions, Chief Apple Executive Jeff Raikes (better known for his time at Microsoft) and Jack Tramiel (best known for founding Commodore International) and were given contract to write computer programs that would run on PC’s at retail stores to entice buyers . “We hired programmers in India which our classmate Brad Hauser supervised in a small room in the back of my dad’s disk drive plant in Chatsworth, California.” Kiran graduated from Brown University in Computer Science with Honours and then completed an M.B.A in Finance at The Wharton School of Business.

One of Kiran’s most notable hallmarks was his role as advisor/ ‘deep business partner’ for PartyGaming, an online poker card room that remains among the largest online poker card rooms. Through his Indian company Aspen Communications Kiran handled their principal deposit solutions for the US and back office analytics to insure deposit integrity (approx. $100mm USD in deposits p/m). “I lived next door to founders Russ DeLeon and Ruth Parasol and worked closely with all the founders in many different areas. The company operated as a close-knit family. We lived, worked and played together,” he says.

In 2006 when the US passed a law prohibit online gambling the business crashed, and the company’s market capitalization dropped from 20billion GBP to 2billion GBP on the London Stock Exchange. It was time for Kiran to roll… PartyGaming later merged with Bwin to form Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment. It remains one of the largest online gambling companies to date.

In 2007 Kiran went to launch, Transact Network, a European Licensed electronic money institution and full MasterCard and Visa Europe member. This business grew quickly and in 2012 principal assets were sold to the Bancorp, which at the time was the largest pre-paid issuer in the world.

Soon after, Kiran relocated his family to live at Kovalam Beach at Kerala, India where he would have to learn to disconnect and decompress from the daily grind. “I started to see the attraction of isolation. I built a house, slept in later than 6am, ate dinner with my family and removed myself from business. That is, until the hunger for it started to creep back.” In 2013 he migrated back to USA and met two young marijuana entrepreneurs, Andy Hartog and Chris Miller alongwith their promoter Jack Schwebel through an old friend of his, Mark Beychok, who he knew had a penchant for Cannabis. The two young long-time marijuana producers and distributors were using a coffee decaffeinating machine to extract hash oil out of the cannabis flower, and Kiran was immediately hooked- he knew that this technology (now better known as C02 extraction) was the way of the future. Kiran with his close friend Dave Elzas, the Chairman and co-founder of Geneva Management Group arranged the financing for Andy, Chris and Jack’s venture, which today is called Golden Leaf Holdings, was one the first US Cannabis Company’s to go public in Canada on the CSE.Not fully impressed with C02 technology, Kiran connected with his old colleague, Dr. Parkash Gill MD, an Endowed Chair Professor of Medicine to the University of Southern California and renowned Physician Scientist who developed novel therapies for certain cancers, introduced Kiran to volatile extraction using chemical solvents.

And so “Halo was started in the backyard chicken coop of with experimental volatile extraction; an inherently combustible technique that produces the most potent quality of cannabis,” he says. The company has garnered significant attention and success in the last two years, largely due to their ability to adapt and release new innovative products.

“We are only at the start of an industry boom and will continue to see integration of oils and concentrates into mainstream. Cannabis will be mixed with flavours such as turmeric and lavender, rosehip or chamomile and it wouldn’t surprise me if even chains such as Starbucks introduce cannabis cappuccinos to their product offering,” says Kiran.

Kiran ‘leads from the front,’ however is quick to dismantle underperforming management and rebuild teams. What has won him admiration as a mentor is his habit of tasking junior members of staff to head up projects and encourage them to strike out on their own. “I give my staff a lot of rope but when things go wrong I’ll deep dive into an area,” he says. He has created a hard charging culture where problem solving, precision and smart thinking requires pinpoint perfection.

One of the many ways he has tried to cultivate a deeply connected culture is by pairing employees in a hotel room when travelling; a corporate philosophy implemented by Walmart. “If you don’t have a strong team within your business, you will have trouble,” he says. Kiran devotes ‘his all’ to business. Everyday. He works ferociously hard for longer than most people could ever tolerate and doesn’t despair in the face of rejection. “The only way to make money consistently is to create something of value. Eat what you kill and never blither about work-life balance,” he says.

Best Gifts For The Canna-Curious

In the wake of legalization, many Canadians are dropping the old stigmas and flirting with a new flower friend. If you want to nurture their renewed curiosity in cannabis, we’ve put together a short list of simple gift items that could make all the difference. Each item is carefully selected with our canna-curious friends and family in mind to help them be more comfortable and well equipped.

START FROM SCRATCH

The thoughtful minimalist design of Tokyo Smoke’s burn kit put it at the top of our canna-curious list with everything you need to grind weed and roll it. Described as an “on-the-go” stash and joint prep kit,’ the slim cardboard box includes a pack of rolling papers with filters, a cardboard rolling tray, an aluminum poker, and a Tokyo Smoke grinder card. Why not start your love affair with cannabis in great style? With a new accolade as “accessory brand of the year,” voted by Lift&Co fans, we wanted to feature our favourite by this innovative Canadian brand.

GET THE BASICS

Perhaps the best gift to help beginners de-mystify the world of cannabis, this great coffee table book offers "a humorous and informative trip through the drug’s various medicinal compounds, a timeline of its history, and recipes that take you beyond the standard pot brownie—with pro tips from cannabis-friendly celebrities sprinkled throughout." Bound to be a page-turner, this highbrow guide can help reduce unnecessary embarrassment or novice hesitation.

ROLL LIKE A PRO

For first time tokers, there can be a lot of intimidation around “rolling,” and for a good reason. You don’t want your joint to be uneven or round in the middle, to be filled with air pockets or for the paper to become damp and tear from the moisture on your hands. While this rolling machine might not be the most stunning accessory on the market, it’s basic functionality is not to be overlooked. Having one makes rolling an even, nice looking joint your quick and easy secret…

KEEP IT CLASSY

If someone on your list is new to cannabis, they may not even want to try to tackle how to roll a joint. On the flipside, if they are just getting curious with their new flower friend, they likely won’t have one of the stunning crystal pipes flooding today's boutique market space. And while one could argue that each crystal pipes is divine as the next, we believe that our selection from B.C.’s Leaff Shop trumps all! With their beautiful branded kit and competitive price point, Leaff’s gift set has us swooning. Included is a stunningly simple matte white grinder, a pipe cleaner, and replacement filters. Available in sexy stones like howlite, rose quartz or amazonite, we think this set is going to be a hit for novices and connoisseurs alike.

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

Like many of those new to cannabis, smoking can be a bit strong and harsh on the lungs. Even if you have a reasonable tolerance, you might be looking for a way to really taste the terpenes and microdose your consumption. Designed for dry herb, FEZ is a micro USB charged vaporizer is said to give you 2,000 puffs per charge. With a virtually odorless use, the FEZ lighter is one of the nicest looking low-budget vapes on the market today. Available in red, white and black.

Related comments

Tips for Having a Safe and Fun Cannabis-Friendly Holiday Party

Kiran Sidhu (CEO & Director), and the whole team at HALO take the Holiday Season quite seriously. More than anything, they see it as an opportunity for comradery. It’s that time of year when the team can come together as one unit and celebrate the wins of the year, but more importantly, they share stories unrelated to work and connect on another level.

The team at HALO know a thing or two about hosting cannabis friendly holiday parties featuring their famous holiday-themed dabs. One thing that is extremely important to the HALO team is safety; the safety of their production facilities, the safety of the products they offer, and most importantly the safety of their employees. Kiran’s put together some of his BEST tips for ensuring a fun and safe holiday party this season.

Let’s Rideshare!

Driving under the influence of cannabis and/or alcohol should never be tolerated. Make it abundantly clear in your invite that there will be a zero tolerance policy when it comes to indulging and driving. Instead, encourage guest that want to partake to use services such as a taxi, or a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft. Or a designated driver. This option allows guests to indulge as much or as little as they want without the dangers of driving under the influence or wondering how they’ll get home. Putting out a fancy bowl to leave keys in near the door with a little reminder sign about not driving high can help guests evaluate their transportation choices upon arrival. Planning this element can help people relax and have a good time without debating who is driving as a total afterthought.

Pick Your Indulgence Of Choice

At events like this, it can be quite easy to overindulge, since everyone’s tolerance levels are different. You may consider not serving alcohol, or scaling back on the alcohol budget and encouraging guests to choose either or. It may be a good idea at the party to ask guests individually if they are having alcohol or cannabis to make this a clear decision while they are in the spirit of the evening. Some people find that smoking cannabis can make them feel ill or unpleasant if they have already indulged in alcohol. To avoid guests having a hard time deciding, make sure that your non-alcoholic beverages are deliciously enticing!

Have A Designated Smoking Area

Pick an area in or outside your home that is specifically for those who may want to smoke, vape, dab etc. Ensure there are plenty of ashtrays to avoid guests looking for a place to ash. If vaping is ok inside but you prefer smoking to happen outdoors perhaps include some signage with Christmas lights on the designated area. If you are inviting guests to smoke anywhere in your home, it’s important to have a fire extinguisher on hand to quickly put out any accidental mishaps.

Be Transparent

Cannabis legalization is still new and many people are still figuring out their tolerance. If gifting cannabis to guests be sure to let them know the strain you’re offering and the compound make up - how much THC versus CBD. While one person may love a Sativa, another may find it makes them anxious. Letting friends know which strains are being offered allows them to be in the driver’s seat of their experience and not find out they smoked a strain type that doesn’t typically agree with them after the fact.

Similarly, if you’re offering edibles ensure they can be divided into small doses, and again educate your guests as to what is in it and the expected strength. When in doubt, always encourage your guests to start slow.

Pay Attention

It’s important to always have a sober person on hand. If you want to indulge yourself, this person may be a friend or family member you trust. This person can help keep an eye on others’ consumption and check in with individuals periodically to see if they need anything. Much like how a waitress will check to see if your meal is ok or if you need any water, designating a sort-of party chaperone will help to ensure that everyone is having a wonderful time as the party progresses into the night.

Related comments

Impressive Gifts For The Canna-Connoisseur

You may have never heard the name before, but you can likely picture just the person on your list when we describe a cannabis connoisseur. To them, cannabis is integrated into life and is to be appreciated like fine food or spirits. They may be discreet about their enthusiasm for the plant but would light up if your gift acknowledged the important element that cannabis plays in their lifestyle. With their fine taste in mind, we curated a gift for the canna-connoisseurs.

CUSTOMIZE THE RITUAL

If someone on your list is passionate about strains and likes to show them off like vintages in a wine cellar, look no further for the perfect gift. The ritual box from Ahlot is a well-crafted wooden box with separate compartments for designer stash jars and other select accessories. Personalized with monographing on the exterior lid, the simple concept behind this box can make a stunning impression on that devoted connoisseur on your list.

GET IT PERFECT EVERY TIME

A sophisticated cannabis oil maker from Levo has topped our first ever gift list for cannabis connoisseurs, and there are mouth-watering reasons why. Equipped with technology that takes much of the guesswork out of at home edibles, this sleek machine blends in perfectly on any kitchen countertop. With app controlled settings an fine controls, the Levo oil maker is intended to reduce the user’s margin of error and produce a consistently infused oil time after time. By selecting the strain most appropriate to your desired effect (think THC/CBD percentages and ratios, or terpene characteristics) and the amount of cannabis to the amount of oil, you can be fully in command of the qualities and strength of your results. With kitchen gadget envy from last year’s juicer or electric kettle, the Levo oil maker is the kind of gift that we think even Martha Stewart would put on her list.

GO MINIMALIST

This round glass tube with a twisty brass insert allows you to smoke a blunt without a single cigar paper in the equation. A simple but classy gift for cannabis enthusiasts who have ‘smoked it all,’ the twisty blunt is easy to fill with ground cannabis, light et voila. Discovered through our friends at Cannabisjar.ca in Winnipeg, we invite JADEO members to take a peek through their stunning selection of classy cannabis accessories for connoisseurs as they finalize their gift list.

STAY LIT

It’s never fun to struggle to get a flame on a windy balcony, or find out your lighter is dead when there’s nowhere to buy one in sight. A great item to make our connoisseurs list is a rechargeable flameless lighter from Amazon.ca. Perfect for the avid smoker, the lighter has a novelty touch sensor button to make it super smart. If you flip the lid and touch the pad the arc will light up. Toted as windproof, splash-proof and TSA approved, this eco-friendly lighter is perfect for traveling with no lighter fluid needed.

TAKE A HIKE

Toted a the “Swiss army knife for weed,” Canadian doob tool founder Brett Evans explains that he designed the world’s first cannabis case and multitool in an effort to squash the stigma of the “lazy potheads.” A thoughtful number of tools built into one gadget makes it a great gift at a very affordable price. For just under $50 you can surprise the cannabis enthusiast on your list with this innovative tool for joint rolling on-the-go.

Described as a product that caters to cannabis users with active lifestyles, theInstagram account for doob tool showcases its product seamlessly worked into moments of pause on forest hikes, beaches, campfires, and picnics, conjuring up a new norm in marketing accessories to weed lovers.

Crowdfunded on IndieGoGo, this groundbreaking gadget is now available online with the tagline: “your perfect adventure awaits.”

Meet Kiran Sidhu of HALO Cannabis, Our Safety Hosting Guide Curator

Kiran Sidhu, 53 years, has an ability to translate creative ideas into cutting edge business ventures. He is an Ivy league educated serial entrepreneur who has branched out in unexpected ways from his traditional early career positions as Strategy Consultant with Price Waterhouse and M&A investment banker with Merrill Lynch to founding and financing Transact Network, a leading EU electronic money institution as its Executive Chairman, leading the NASDAQ IPO of On-Stage Entertainment as it’s CFO in the late 90’s, and working the founders of Party Poker to establish their first US payment solutions.

His latest success story is HALO, the vanguard of modern cannabis extraction in the development and manufacture of leading oil and concentrates products. Having produced over 2.7 million grams of oils and concentrates (with an average sell of 100K grams per month), HALO is considered a leader in the cannabis industry. “We are on the verge of a momentous shift. For hundreds of years, the Chinese used cannabis for anaesthetic, whilst Bhang, a cannabis yoghurt drink has been enjoyed at festivals and is a tenet of many religious rituals in India. At the turn of the century we lost its cultural importance and now, we’ve found it. And HALO is helping to lead this reincarnation of cannabis as a modern medicine,” he says.Kiran shuttles between his facilities in Southern Oregon and Las Vegas and Southern California. Halo’s 12,000 sq. ft. facility (and seven acres of outdoor canopy) has captured +20% share of the Oregon concentrates wholesale market, whilst its 8,000 sq. ft. Nevada licensed processing facility (located near the Las Vegas Airport) is expected to generate 15,000 grams per day of estimated production capacity with a US$45MM annual potential revenue run rate. “This business is in my blood- my grandfather worked in the cannabis industry and I naturally followed his lead.” Dr. Gurbash Chopra MD was the deputy general of medicine for the government of India who immigrated from India to the USA in 1950s and presented substantiated evidence to suggest cannabis could be used to treat illnesses and alleviate symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. He was awarded an honours degree at by the New York Academy of Sciences.

Kiran was born into an entrepreneurial family. His father, Pawitter Sidhu, an Engineer, was a fierce businessman who pioneered the invention of the Floppy Disk Drive during the computer revolution. His mother, Dr. Satwant Sidhu MD MPH, graduated from UCLA and worked for leading scientist, Barbara B. Brown; a research psychologist who popularized biofeedback and neurofeedback in the 1970s, and who with Dr. Timothy Francis Leary, an American psychologist and writer known for advocating the exploration of the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs(LSD). Kiran grew up in a liberal Southern California during the 70’s and 80’s where Cannabis was part of the social fabric.

From an early age, Kiran was ready to be released into the commercial wild and founded Computing Ahead with Shiv Khemka when they were students at Brown University in the 1980’s. Both would attend school four days a week and fly to West Coast from Rhode Island. “We had the perfect sales tactic. Shiv’s mother was a real Indian Princess, so Shiv fashioned himself as a Prince, with a gold lettered business card to gain entry to PC industry leaders.” Whist their peers were working in cafes, these college students travelled between India, Silicon Valley and LA with the novel concept that Indian IT professionals could be used for hirer by Silicon Valley companies, they were forerunners of a multibillion-dollar industry. They went to computer shows and found two unlikely champions, Chief Apple Executive Jeff Raikes (better known for his time at Microsoft) and Jack Tramiel (best known for founding Commodore International) and were given contract to write computer programs that would run on PC’s at retail stores to entice buyers . “We hired programmers in India which our classmate Brad Hauser supervised in a small room in the back of my dad’s disk drive plant in Chatsworth, California.” Kiran graduated from Brown University in Computer Science with Honours and then completed an M.B.A in Finance at The Wharton School of Business.

One of Kiran’s most notable hallmarks was his role as advisor/ ‘deep business partner’ for PartyGaming, an online poker card room that remains among the largest online poker card rooms. Through his Indian company Aspen Communications Kiran handled their principal deposit solutions for the US and back office analytics to insure deposit integrity (approx. $100mm USD in deposits p/m). “I lived next door to founders Russ DeLeon and Ruth Parasol and worked closely with all the founders in many different areas. The company operated as a close-knit family. We lived, worked and played together,” he says.

In 2006 when the US passed a law prohibit online gambling the business crashed, and the company’s market capitalization dropped from 20billion GBP to 2billion GBP on the London Stock Exchange. It was time for Kiran to roll… PartyGaming later merged with Bwin to form Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment. It remains one of the largest online gambling companies to date.

In 2007 Kiran went to launch, Transact Network, a European Licensed electronic money institution and full MasterCard and Visa Europe member. This business grew quickly and in 2012 principal assets were sold to the Bancorp, which at the time was the largest pre-paid issuer in the world.

Soon after, Kiran relocated his family to live at Kovalam Beach at Kerala, India where he would have to learn to disconnect and decompress from the daily grind. “I started to see the attraction of isolation. I built a house, slept in later than 6am, ate dinner with my family and removed myself from business. That is, until the hunger for it started to creep back.” In 2013 he migrated back to USA and met two young marijuana entrepreneurs, Andy Hartog and Chris Miller alongwith their promoter Jack Schwebel through an old friend of his, Mark Beychok, who he knew had a penchant for Cannabis. The two young long-time marijuana producers and distributors were using a coffee decaffeinating machine to extract hash oil out of the cannabis flower, and Kiran was immediately hooked- he knew that this technology (now better known as C02 extraction) was the way of the future. Kiran with his close friend Dave Elzas, the Chairman and co-founder of Geneva Management Group arranged the financing for Andy, Chris and Jack’s venture, which today is called Golden Leaf Holdings, was one the first US Cannabis Company’s to go public in Canada on the CSE.Not fully impressed with C02 technology, Kiran connected with his old colleague, Dr. Parkash Gill MD, an Endowed Chair Professor of Medicine to the University of Southern California and renowned Physician Scientist who developed novel therapies for certain cancers, introduced Kiran to volatile extraction using chemical solvents.

And so “Halo was started in the backyard chicken coop of with experimental volatile extraction; an inherently combustible technique that produces the most potent quality of cannabis,” he says. The company has garnered significant attention and success in the last two years, largely due to their ability to adapt and release new innovative products.

“We are only at the start of an industry boom and will continue to see integration of oils and concentrates into mainstream. Cannabis will be mixed with flavours such as turmeric and lavender, rosehip or chamomile and it wouldn’t surprise me if even chains such as Starbucks introduce cannabis cappuccinos to their product offering,” says Kiran.

Kiran ‘leads from the front,’ however is quick to dismantle underperforming management and rebuild teams. What has won him admiration as a mentor is his habit of tasking junior members of staff to head up projects and encourage them to strike out on their own. “I give my staff a lot of rope but when things go wrong I’ll deep dive into an area,” he says. He has created a hard charging culture where problem solving, precision and smart thinking requires pinpoint perfection.

One of the many ways he has tried to cultivate a deeply connected culture is by pairing employees in a hotel room when travelling; a corporate philosophy implemented by Walmart. “If you don’t have a strong team within your business, you will have trouble,” he says. Kiran devotes ‘his all’ to business. Everyday. He works ferociously hard for longer than most people could ever tolerate and doesn’t despair in the face of rejection. “The only way to make money consistently is to create something of value. Eat what you kill and never blither about work-life balance,” he says.

Related comments

Best Gifts For The Canna-Curious

In the wake of legalization, many Canadians are dropping the old stigmas and flirting with a new flower friend. If you want to nurture their renewed curiosity in cannabis, we’ve put together a short list of simple gift items that could make all the difference. Each item is carefully selected with our canna-curious friends and family in mind to help them be more comfortable and well equipped.

START FROM SCRATCH

The thoughtful minimalist design of Tokyo Smoke’s burn kit put it at the top of our canna-curious list with everything you need to grind weed and roll it. Described as an “on-the-go” stash and joint prep kit,’ the slim cardboard box includes a pack of rolling papers with filters, a cardboard rolling tray, an aluminum poker, and a Tokyo Smoke grinder card. Why not start your love affair with cannabis in great style? With a new accolade as “accessory brand of the year,” voted by Lift&Co fans, we wanted to feature our favourite by this innovative Canadian brand.

GET THE BASICS

Perhaps the best gift to help beginners de-mystify the world of cannabis, this great coffee table book offers "a humorous and informative trip through the drug’s various medicinal compounds, a timeline of its history, and recipes that take you beyond the standard pot brownie—with pro tips from cannabis-friendly celebrities sprinkled throughout." Bound to be a page-turner, this highbrow guide can help reduce unnecessary embarrassment or novice hesitation.

ROLL LIKE A PRO

For first time tokers, there can be a lot of intimidation around “rolling,” and for a good reason. You don’t want your joint to be uneven or round in the middle, to be filled with air pockets or for the paper to become damp and tear from the moisture on your hands. While this rolling machine might not be the most stunning accessory on the market, it’s basic functionality is not to be overlooked. Having one makes rolling an even, nice looking joint your quick and easy secret…

KEEP IT CLASSY

If someone on your list is new to cannabis, they may not even want to try to tackle how to roll a joint. On the flipside, if they are just getting curious with their new flower friend, they likely won’t have one of the stunning crystal pipes flooding today's boutique market space. And while one could argue that each crystal pipes is divine as the next, we believe that our selection from B.C.’s Leaff Shop trumps all! With their beautiful branded kit and competitive price point, Leaff’s gift set has us swooning. Included is a stunningly simple matte white grinder, a pipe cleaner, and replacement filters. Available in sexy stones like howlite, rose quartz or amazonite, we think this set is going to be a hit for novices and connoisseurs alike.

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

Like many of those new to cannabis, smoking can be a bit strong and harsh on the lungs. Even if you have a reasonable tolerance, you might be looking for a way to really taste the terpenes and microdose your consumption. Designed for dry herb, FEZ is a micro USB charged vaporizer is said to give you 2,000 puffs per charge. With a virtually odorless use, the FEZ lighter is one of the nicest looking low-budget vapes on the market today. Available in red, white and black.

Trendy Canna-Gifts Under $60

It’s the first holiday season that our country is ringing in with legal cannabis, and with that has come a new wave of online retailers offering up cool accessories. We sifted through hundreds of pot-related products to curate our first ever cannabis gift guide, all selected from Canadian online shops. From crystal studded grinders to strain-specific socks, our team left no bong behind in curating our ‘best of’ list across various categories.

Our first (and possibly favourite) is a thoughtful shortlist of gifts that are stunningly simple while not breaking the bank.

MOVE OVER, BOBBI PIN

This holiday there is no more need for toothpicks, pen tips or bobbi-pins because there’s a classy new “do it all” poker on the market and it’s got some brains behind it. Available in gold and black, this zinc alloy THC molecule shaped “pipe pick” can help unclog or clean-up whichever bowl you are smoking from and can stand the heat if the bowl is still warm. We think it could double as a very classy poker, for when you are pushing down cannabis in a joint to get out the air pockets, too. We invite our JADEO members to pick one up from Crafty Joints and tell us how they use it best!

IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW.

That’s right. Pre-rolled joint cones aren’t just a thing, they are available in every colour combination you can dream of. From rainbow patterns to hand painted polka dots, we sussed through dozens of pre-roll colour combination to choose the most elegant looking style we could find. Dyed with a natural hempseed oil, these A gorgeous gift for any weed enthusiast or canna-curious person on your list. Pre-rolls aren’t only classy, they are super easy to fill - making them quick to toke! Just add ground cannabis and get the holiday glow going.

YOU’RE A PAL AND A CONFIDANT

We are adoring a new curated online boutique from Toronto female-founded startup, Hemlock Rose, who has developed a line of their own products with a refreshing take on weed paraphernalia. Catching the suite of matte white, gold and pink grinders branding with an elegant engraved rose, they had us turn our heads at JADEO and ask - what are those?! Each named after an iconic Golden Girl, these four-piece aluminum grinders don’t compromise on functionality with razor-sharp diamond teeth. Designed with versatility in mind, the lightweight grinders can come apart and used as a two-piece or store dried flower. The biggest issue with the collection we have is choosing between Dorothy, Blanche or Rose!

WHEN ONE PUFF IS ENOUGH

Commonly referred to as a ‘one hitter,’ chillums are a tried and tested way to microdose dried flower. Scroll through the cutest small batch cannabis accessories shops on Instagram and you will likely come across a stylish hand painted porcelain chillum from Wandering Bud. Started as a side hustle/hobby, this Etsy artisan focused on her passion full time and produces a line of unique handmade accessories including ashtrays and stash jars. Don’t want to pay the U.S. shipping rates from Etsy? One of our favourite Canadian online retailers, Leaff, based in Squamish, British Columbia carries a beautiful selection of wandering bud porcelain chillums in addition to a range of other ‘elevated accessories’ by independent artists.

POLISH UP YOUR PANTRY

Like us, you may find the new regulated packaging to be a bit of an eyesore. While you can designate any container to “stash jar” status, we fell in love with a pair of beautiful concrete jars perfectly designed to be just that. Offered in black and marble, these airtight hectagonal cannabis storage containers from Brnt feel along the lines of a small cookie jar with suspiciously beautiful engraved walnut lid. Offering a dual storage for “joints, strains and more,” we appreciated that these Canadian made products were thoughtfully designed with an affordable price tag in mind.